Shipping products in single pallet units is often the preferred method of delivery for many businesses. This is done by stacking and securing product on a single pallet to ship as one unit, making it very cost-effective and efficient for handling, storing and transporting products. If your product is sensitive to the elements and requires temperature control, a cold chain pallet shipper is the most ideal choice for transport.
For goods that are perishables, like foods, pharmaceuticals and medical supplies, cold chain shipping is a necessity to ensure products are unaffected by temperature and environmental changes. During cold chain shipping, temperature-sensitive products are transported using packaging that is designed to keep products at their required temperatures.
Cold chain products are often shipped using refrigerated trucks, railcars, ships, reefers (temperature-controlled transport units) and air cargo. Individual pallets can also be shipped with internal means of maintaining a controlled temperature range. How the shipments are packaged is another especially important aspect of cold chain shipping.
Let’s review some of the most important things to consider when choosing a cold chain pallet shipper.
What Are Pallet Shipper Components?
A pallet shipper most closely resembles a large box with four sides, a bottom and a top. Because pallet shippers are designed to ship large quantities of the same product together as one shipment, they are the preferred transport method for B2B shipping, especially for shipping to and from warehouses and manufacturing facilities.
For example, cold chain pallet shipping would be used to transport large, bulk quantities of a temperature-sensitive product, like a vaccine, to another facility where it will be put into individual vials.
A key component of cold chain pallet shipping is the use of insulation to provide an ideal temperature-controlled environment during transport. While each product could be temperature-controlled by using individual coolers, it is much more cost-effective to insulate the entire pallet shipper to protect the whole shipment.
How Pallet Shippers Are Insulated
The most popular way for pallet shippers to provide seasonal and universal temperature protection is using EPS insulation. Many cold chain solution providers use EPS insulation products for temperature control because of its strong reputation for offering solid performance at an ideal cost. EPS insulation can also be designed for a wide variety of applications.
For pallet shippers, six large pieces of molded polystyrene are used to create the insulated lining for the pallet shipper: four sides and a top and bottom liner. Essentially, this lining turns the pallet shipper into one large cooler protecting the entire shipment.
Pallet shipper insulation can be designed for a variety of shapes, sizes and thicknesses, and it can also include other materials designed for cold chain transportation like box liners, refrigerant packs and custom-molded cushioning.
Cold Chain Pallet Shippers Are Ideal for the Pharmaceutical Industry
The pharmaceutical industry is best known for its use of high-end temperature control packaging. Their pallet shipping needs often require the use of several cold chain solutions to provide the right level of protection for their pallet shippers.
For pallet shippers to be designated for pharmaceutical use, they should be tested using the standards of the International Safe Transit Association (ISTA). ISTA is a governing body that sets guidelines to help minimize product damage throughout distribution and optimize resource usage through effective package design. ISTA has standards for insulated shipping container performance that should always be a part of any pharmaceutical cold chain shipping strategy.
Atlas Molded Products is recognized as the nation’s largest molded polystyrene manufacturer in North America and provides the highest-quality cold chain packaging options available, including pallet shippers.
Their DuraTherm® product line is an ideal solution for the strict requirements of pharmaceutical shipping and transportation for smaller shipments.
DuraTherm temperature-controlled packaging solutions are specifically designed to protect products within their required temperature range during transit. Engineered for a wide variety of applications including life sciences, meal delivery services, beverage shippers and temperature-sensitive shipments, DuraTherm Cold Chain products effectively insulate and protect products throughout the entire distribution process of shipping, handling and storage.
Pallet shippers offer both seasonal and universal temperature protection for full or half pallet configurations and can be customized to accommodate air transport.
EPS products with a stable R-value for the life of the product.
16 manufacturing locations providing nationwide coverage.
Atlas’ in-house engineering teams offer 3D modeling and prototyping so you can customize the sizing and thicknesses of the insulation used inside shipping containers.
Environmentally friendly with a low global warming potential and zero ozone depletion potential.
100% recyclable at the end of their service life, providing an environmentally friendly solution.
Cold Chain Pallet Shipping
When it comes to cold chain shipping, pallet shipping is an ideal way to ship large quantities of products in a controlled and insulated fashion. Atlas molded polystyrene products can be designed, customized, kitted and tested to meet all pharmaceutical delivery needs.
Learn more about Atlas Cold Chain Packaging and how we can help you protect and deliver temperature-controlled products nationwide. Contact our team to talk about your specific needs and how we can help.